Can this luxurious all-wheel-drive, five-passenger crossover help make Lincoln a relevant brand again?

By John LeBlanc

Originally published: June 11, 2014

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SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. — The new 2015 MKC compact crossover is yet another in a long line of “make it or break it” vehicles Ford’s struggling luxury brand has trotted out since its sales peaked in the late 1980s. But after a day driving Lincoln’s first ever compact crossover, the signs point favourably for Lincoln’s future.

To help separate Lincoln luxury vehicles from the mainstream Fords they are mechanically based on, two years ago, Ford changed the name of its Lincoln division to the “Lincoln Motor Company” and created unique design, product development and sales teams for the brand. So while the Ford Fusion-based 2012 Lincoln MKZ midsize luxury sedan was heralded as the first vehicle from the “new Lincoln,” the 2015 MKC crossover is the first true product of the newly independent brand. The question is: Can the MKC save Lincoln?

2015 Lincoln MKCHandout, Lincoln

Visually and aesthetically inside and out, the 2015 MKC is the first Lincoln in some time that is truly distinctive from the Ford it’s based on — in this case, the Escape. With no shared sheet metal, higher beltline, lower roofline and wider track, Lincoln designers have done an admirable job making the MKC look and feel different from the Escape.

Lincoln fully admits it targeted the class-leading Audi Q5 and BMW X3 when developing its MKC, with the Audi’s silhouette and clamshell rear hatch opening visually apparent in the Lincoln’s exterior design. Inside, Lincoln designers were looking for a minimalist look, eschewing a traditional transmission gear selector for dash-mounted buttons (as in the MKZ sedan) to free up cabin room and using plenty of soft-touch plastics and real leather, wood and aluminum trim. Better yet, the MKC has ditched the MKZ sedan’s unintuitive capacitive-touch climate control and audio “sliders” for easier to use real knobs and switches.

2015 Lincoln MKCHandout, Lincoln

Following the industry downsizing trend, the MKC eschews any engines with more than four cylinders. The base engine is the turbocharged 2.0-litre gas mill found in the Escape, making 240 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. The second is a new, 2.3L turbo-four that will also power the upcoming 2015 Ford Mustang. It makes a healthy 285 hp and 305 lb.-ft. in the Lincoln crossover. The only MKC transmission choice is a six-speed automatic, with traction at all four wheels standard. Fuel economy estimates range from 12.4 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 9.0 on the highway for the MKC 2.0L to 12.9 and 9.2, respectively, for the MKC 2.3L — strictly average for the class.

Lincoln only made available fully loaded 2015 MKC 2.3L models for the media drive here, just north of Los Angeles. But the automaker did map out a full day of California mountain road driving as a sign of confidence in its latest vehicle’s dynamic driving capabilities. And for the most part, Lincoln’s so-called “utility vehicle” impressed with its athletic road manners.

2015 Lincoln MKCHandout, Lincoln

The MKC’s front suspension MacPherson struts and a rear multilink setup with gas-pressurized shocks and anti-roll bars adds another level of customization via a three-mode (Normal, Comfort and Sport) Lincoln Driver Control system that tunes the transmission’s shifting, steering and throttle mapping accordingly.

If you want your MKC to behave like a Town Car, choose Comfort and the little Lincoln is one smooth ride. It’s quiet, too, thanks to additional sound deadener, acoustic glass, felted wheel wells and active noise cancellation technology that escapes its Ford platform partner. If you want to chase (and subsequently pass) a Porsche 911 Carrera S down a mountain road (as we did), select the Sport setting. With larger antiroll bars and stiffer spring rates than the Escape, the MKC corners flatter, and its rear end comes around nicely with a stab of trail braking; much more engaging to drive than Acura’ s more luxury-tuned RDX.

2015 Lincoln MKCHandout, Lincoln

The Lincoln’s 2.3L turbo-four and autobox also make a good match, with the gearbox holding upshifts in Sport mode. The Lincoln also gets unique specs for its Ford-sourced electrically assisted steering. If not as communicate as a BMW X3’s helm, the MKC’s tiller is very linear, delivering quick turn-ins and plenty of weight.

Luxury customers also demand a higher level of safety features, and the new MKC delivers here, too. There are the now requisite driver-assist aids like Lane-Keeping System, Blind Spot Information System, collision warning and active park assist. The Lincoln also introduces Park Out Assist, which guides drivers out of tight parking spaces.

For a first-time entry into the burgeoning luxury compact crossover segment, the new 2015 Lincoln MKC is an impressive effort. Besides beating its domestic rivals at Buick, Cadillac and Chrysler to showrooms, the Lincoln also skips past its import rivals at Acura, Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz when it comes to its driving dynamics, giving the segment leaders at Audi and BMW an unsuspected new rival.

2015 Lincoln MKCHandout, Lincoln

Even so, Lincoln understands its underdog status with luxury buyers. As such, the 2015 MKC is aggressively priced, with the base 2.0L starting at $41,690 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection fees), while a topline MKC 2.3L with all the options checked-off is $54,645 — or around $10,000 less than comparably equipped Q5 and X3 models.

Can the new 2015 MKC make Lincoln a relevant luxury brand again? On its own, probably not. But if Lincoln can recreate the same level of competitiveness found in its new compact crossover in some of its future products, feel free to call off the brand’s deathwatch for now.